Royals must keep Keller


The Royals starting rotation this season has been quite shaky from top to bottom, but there have been some bright spots from time to time in some of the arms.
Brad Keller has most definitely had some rough starts this season to this point, but he’s also had many good ones including a start from June 18 against the Oakland Athletics where he went seven strong innings with six punchouts and zero runs allowed. Keller told Royals beat writer Anne Rogers: "I didn’t even notice it was happening until going out there for that inning,” Keller said. “I didn’t put too much thought into it. I was just trying to get deep in the ballgame, keep putting up zeros. Their starter Cole Irvin was putting up zeros, so just try to match him as much as I could.”
The Royals are hoping that the pitchers from the 2018 MLB draft class pan out, but as of now, one has panned out—Daniel Lynch. Many fans believe a pitching coach change could make a big difference. The Royals heading towards the trade deadline will most certainly be sellers after playing some of their worst baseball in franchise history. Keller's name has been mentioned as a possible trade candidate for the team by many sports sites. Keller's name being brought up in trade rumors shouldn't come as much of a surprise after his five starts at Kauffman Stadium this season with a 2.43 ERA. Unfortunately, his road numbers aren't what he or the team have wanted at a 6.26 ERA. However, I believe the Royals should hang on to the 26-year old right hander for numerous reasons.One is his durability. Keller has tossed 562.1 innings in his first five seasons in Kansas City and has a career ETA of 4.10 with little injury history. While a 4.10 ERA isn't an eye opener, it certainly isn't bad for a pitcher that was acquired for next to nothing from Cincinnati in the 2017 MLB Rule 5 draft and has become a permanent part of a major league rotation. According to Royals Review, Keller's upcoming contract is definitely a Royals type of contract, a four year deal worth between $8-14 million per year. Keller's potential price range reminds me of the contract the Royals handed out to former Royals pitcher Jason Vargas in 2013. The lefthander signed a four year deal worth $32 million dollars. In my opinion, I believe Keller could demand a little bit more than Vargas given his age. 
Keller will have the chance to reach free agency in the year 2024, but I think the Royals and Keller could start their contract negotiations towards the end of this season. While Keller might not be the team's front end starter, I believe he could become a workhorse as a third or fourth starter for a Royals pitching staff that is made up of young pitchers that don't have enough big league experience under their belts with the pandemic disrupting their development time table to become dependable big league pitchers.

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